On July 6, 2024 The Daily Kos featured an article about the Yip Harburg-Earl Robinson civil rights-themed song, “Free and Equal Blues,” written during World War Two as a protest against the racial segregation of blood supplies by the United States Armed Forces. The song is heard via a YouTube link as performed by Robinson in … Continue Reading ››
Category Archives: News
BETTE MIDLER’S “IF I ONLY HAD A HEART” PARODY
On July 2, 2024 singer and actress Bette Midler posted a parody of the lyric of the Yip Harburg-Harold Arlen classic "If I Only Had a Heart" from The Wizard of Oz to express her opinion of various Supreme Court judges.
“In Times Like These”
The World War Two-era Yip Harburg-Sammy Fain song “In Times Like These” from the MGM feature film Meet the People (1944) is highlighted on the June 7, 2024 edition of Will Friedwald’s “Slouching Towards Birdland” blog, available on Substack to subscribers.
“Black Music Sunday” Celebrates “Finian’s Rainbow”
Denise Oliver Velez's article “Black Music Sunday: A St. Patrick’s Day Celebration of ‘Finian’s Rainbow’” (March 17, 2024) can be found at the Daily Kos web site.
BEABADOOBEE SINGS “PAPER MOON”
Beabadoobee’s outstanding and original performance of the Yip Harburg-Harold Arlen classic “It’s Only a Paper Moon” is featured on the Jack Antonoff-produced soundtrack of the Apple TV series The New Look which debuted Feb. 14, 2024.
SIXTY YEARS AGO THIS MONTH
Sixty years ago this month, on Sunday February 9, 1964 at 6:00 PM Eastern Time, YIP HARBURG’s most frequent composer-collaborator, HAROLD ARLEN, was honored with a one-hour CBS TV special entitled “The Songs of Harold Arlen.” Hosted by Walter Cronkite, the lineup of participants included Yip, as well as … Continue Reading ››
PODCAST ABOUT “FINIAN’S RAINBOW”
On a January 2024 episode of the Broadway Podcast Network, Jeffrey Scott Parsons talks about Finian’s Rainbow with Broadway performer Joe Aaron Reid, a cast member of the 2009 Broadway revival of the show.
YIP and THE WIZARD OF OZ
Will Friedwald’s January 17, 2024 Substack entry, “The Wizard of Oz: If I Only Had a Verse,” explores Yip’s contribution to the classic film which was re-released to theaters in January 2024.
Mural Honoring Yip
Yip is honored with a mural by Sabrina Jones (aka Sab Jonze) at Public School 64 in New York City’s East Village, which he attended as a child before entering Townsend Harris High School.
HELLO YELLOW BRICK ROAD
On July 19, 2023 the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus will present Hello Yellow Brick Road, combining highlights from Elton John’s 1973 album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, along with favorites from The Wizard of Oz (including, of course “Over the Rainbow” by Yip Harburg and Harold Arlen), The Wiz, and Stephen Schwartz’s Wicked.